


The Dress

by JJBashir



Series: The Aislinn MacMurdo Chronicles [3]
Category: seaQuest, seaQuest DSV
Genre: Ball, F/M, Off-Duty, Songfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-27
Updated: 2013-10-27
Packaged: 2017-12-30 15:09:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1020156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JJBashir/pseuds/JJBashir
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fun and frolic on an evening out with the seaQuest crew.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Dress

**Author's Note:**

> The 3rd story in the Aislinn MacMurdo Chronicles, though it was the 4th written and published in 1998. The Dress in question actually existed in the 1996 Neiman Marcus Christmas Catalog for $1060. In the seaQuest timeline, it would indeed be a vintage dress.

Lieutenant (j.g.) Timothy O'Neill hated his dress white uniform. It was stiff, and the collar scratched at his neck. He pulled the collar out for the billionth time as he sat at the round table with his fellow seaQuest crew members. Once a year, the UEO Navy trotted out their best and brightest officers for a black tie formal, a hand shaking, hobnobbing-with-the-bigwigs affair that made the normally introverted Tim  
sick to his stomach. He hated these things when he was in the Academy. He hated them even more now--he was nothing more than a glorified translator program, and he winced inwardly every time he was introduced to some dignitary who didn't speak a word of English, to show off the cleverness of the UEO's training programs for communications officers.

He tugged at his collar again, silently cursing the fact that Lucas Wolenczak, the lone civilian member of seaQuest attending, didn't have a  
dress uniform to worry about.

 _These are the times you wish you were a girl,_ Tim moaned in his mind. Female officers were not required to wear their dress uniforms, and though many opted to, just as many didn't, giving the affair a splash of color here and there. Most of the dresses usually leaned to the side of trampy, with a little too much not left to the imagination. It didn't seem to bother his other crewmates--Ford, Ortiz, Shan and Krieg were ogling to their hearts content. But Tim was an old fashioned sort of a guy...with a vivid imagination. And right now, it was in overdrive, thinking about someone not even in the room yet.

Commander Jonathan Ford looked over at Tim, who was pulling on his collar again. "Don't worry buddy," he said. "Lucas will get her here, all safe and sound."

Tim smiled. Ford was referring to the only reason he was even tolerating this travesty--the woman he had lost his heart to completely, who promised him an entrance to end all entrances tonight.

 

**Two weeks earlier**

"So, do we or don't we?" Lieutenant Aislinn MacMurdo had asked Lt. Commander Katherine Hitchcock during their work out. They were talking  
about the invitation that they had all received that morning, with the strong 'suggestion' from Captain Bridger that it might not hurt their  
careers any if they attended the annual ball.

"I'm wearing my dress whites," Hitchcock said. "I'm not giving Ben a chance to get a cheap thrill." Lt. Ben Krieg, Hitchcock's ex-husband and the seaQuest's Supply Officer, was also attending the soirée.

"But do we _have_ to, is what I'm askin', Katie," MacMurdo pressed. 

Katie smiled. "What are you going to do to poor Tim NOW, Linnie?" It was common knowledge that MacMurdo had a serious 'thing' for the shy  
Communications officer.

She smirked. "I just thought that we should go shopping the next time we were in port," she said. "I mean...a girl should have a PROPER dress for this kind of thing, shouldn't she??"

 

"LINN?" Katie was shocked. They had been to four boutiques before they had found 'the Dress' at an specialty thrift shop. The velvet frock clung Linn's slender frame and accented her willowy figure. The cut-out in the back was triangular and dipped to a point right above her right hip. Linn pulled her long, dark brown hair off her neck to expose the scoop neck. "I have the perfect necklace for this, Katie," she sighed.

"It costs a thousand dollars, Linn!" Hitchcock exclaimed. 

"It IS a Calvin Klein," Linn said calmly.

"But a thousand dollars?"

Linn did a model's turn, showing Katie all the angles of the dress. "It'll drive Tim wild, won't it? And he always says blue is really my  
color."

Katie studied her friend. She had thought Linn would have gone for something that matched her emerald green eyes, but she was right. This  
dress seemed to be made for her. And no matter HOW Katie tried to talk her out of it, Linn was going to dig her stubborn Scottish heels down and buy it, just to spite her. "It's gonna drive him nuts," she admitted.

"So, what's a thousand bucks, to drive the man of you dreams a little bit crazy?" Linn asked, swishing the hem of her dress girlishly.

 

_Cape New Quest Hilton_

Lucas pulled up to the entrance of the hotel. Linn had thrown him the keys to her vintage, '96 green Jaguar JSX. The engine was up to UEO  
standards for emissions, but the original body was in excellent condition. Lucas felt very grown up in his tuxedo, and even more so because he was driving an amazing piece of machinery. "Wow, Commander, you look great," he had said when she reached the car. 

The grey silk slip dress she and Linn had finally found for her shimmered in the light of the launch bay. Her hair was loose, and covered one eye like a velvet veil."You can call me Katie, Lucas," she smiled. "But just for tonight."

He nodded. "Sure Katie. Where's Linnie?"

"Right here." She trotted down the ramp from the seaQuest, her shoes in one hand, a black wrap in the other. 

Lucas felt his heart stop. "Oh--my--God," he breathed. The dress was gorgeous. It was the same color as her everyday uniform. Lucas half  
expected to she the seaQuest insignia perched just over her left breast. And Lucas could count the times he had seen Linn wear makeup on one hand. Tonight, her lips were a deep burgundy, her eyes nearly as blue as the dress. Her hair was up in a loose chignon, and little curls bounced down by her cheeks. Lucas smiled wickedly as he gently pecked her cheek. "Tim is gonna lose his mind," he said, helping her into the car.

 

Prince's 'Kiss' was playing. Shan was out on the floor with a leggy blonde, and Ortiz was dirty dancing with a petite brunette. Tim's eyes  
scanned the room for the fiftieth time. "Where is she?" he muttered.

"Powdering her nose, probably," Krieg joked. "Women are forever 'powdering their noses'. I don't know what it means, but they're always  
doing it."

Tim shot him a hard look. "And you wonder why Katie left you?"

 

"You ladies ready?" Lucas asked. He had his hands on his hips, so that his arms were bent. Katie looped her arm through Lucas's left arm, Aislinn through his right. 

"Aren't you thrilled, Lucas?" Katie teased, "walking in with TWO women on your arms?"

Lucas laughed. "You mean, the two most beautiful women in the UEO, Commander Hitchcock, don't you?" he said gallantly.

"Ooo, he's a heartbreaker," Linn giggled.

"A regular Don Juan," Katie agreed.

"Alright, alright, already!" Lucas was blushing. "Let go make all the guys drool."

 

The doors of the ballroom opened, and the whistle announcing somebody's entrance sounded. There was an old fashioned yeoman at the door,  
announcing every person that came in, much to everyone's embarrassment. Tim didn't even turn his head. He sat, nursing his long warm soda, wishing Linn would hurry up and get here to rescue him from this--

 

"Presenting Lucas Wolenczak, Lieutenant Commander Katherine Hitchcock, and Lieutenant, Jay Gee, Aislinn MacMurdo, all of the UEO submarine four-six hundred, Deep Sea Vessel, seaQuest."

 

Tim watched Miguel drop his dance partner.

Shan stopped in mid wiggle, his mouth hanging open.

"Hey Ben," Tim said to Krieg, sitting behind him, "did ya see--"

"Not now, Tim," he said, he voice filled with lust.

"But Miguel dropped--"

"Not NOW, Tim! Holy shmolie, how does she DO that?"

"Ben, are you---"

Ford hit Tim in the chest. Hard.

"OW! What the hell-" he started to say, turning to face Ford. 

 

Tim's brain forgot how to make his mouth move.

 

Lucas was grinning ear to ear. Katie Hitchcock shimmered down the stairs in her dolphin grey dress. Her ice blue eyes glittered, and her hair was curly wisps framing her face. She looked beautiful.

 

But all Tim could see was blue. 

 

Aislinn slinked down the stairs, her arm resting on lightly on Lucas'. The dress was one unbroken column of midnight blue velvet, and Tim  
couldn't see a single solitary thing in the room, but that blue dress weaving towards him. She had her glasses off. Her green eyes were  
transformed into something from a Dali painting--deep and penetrating. Her lips were deep carmine, and begging to be kissed. *And what in St. Peter's name,* he wondered, *has she done to her hair?* Tiny corkscrew curls cascaded down her face from a loose knot gathered at the top of her head. There was a triple strand pearl necklace around her neck, and tiny pearls on her ears. 

The collar of Tim's uniform got even smaller. He swallowed hard. She had to know. She had to know that every man in the room was riveted to her, walking down those stairs. Tim could faintly hear the song, 'Delirious' come over the speakers. *Oh yeah...I'm delirious.* He never knew she could move like that--as a matter of fact, he was sure it was illegal to move like that in at least fifteen states. For the thoughts running through his head, he would be in confession for a month. Maybe two. "Oh sweet Mary, Mother of God," Tim managed to whisper.

"How does she DO that?" Ford wondered aloud at the way the 'Dress' moved, with Aislinn seeming not to be moving her legs at all.

"I can now die a happy man," Kreig said in awe. Shan and Ortiz had found their way back to the table, to watch the approach of this goddess they didn't even know existed.

"Aye Caramba," Ortiz sighed.

"Now _THAT_ ," Shan said, "is a DRESS."

 

Lucas walked up to the table, and seated Katie, then strode up to Tim, Aislinn still attached to his arm. "I believe," he said to Tim, placing Aislinn's hand on Tim's arm, " this belongs to YOU, Lieutenant." He smiled at Linn, and kissed her cheek. "Go get 'im, Mac," he whispered in her ear.

She patted his arm. "Thank you, Lucas,' she said.

The other officers looked at Tim O'Neill with undisguised jealousy in their eyes.

"Aren't you going to say 'hello,' Timothy?" she purred seductively.

It took a second for the words to register in his overloaded brain. "Hellooooo, Timothy," he sighed, taking her hand in his and escorting her to the dance floor.

Ben Krieg sighed. "What has O'Neill got, that I don't?" he pleaded with his friends.

"Easy," Ortiz said, pointing to Tim and Aislinn, dancing to 'Purple Rain', noses touching. "Her."

 

"That dress should be illegal in fifteen states," Tim whispered in his date's ear. He let his hand rest on the patch of bare skin on her back.

"Only fifteen?" she whispered back, gently pursing her lips against his cheek.

He groaned, and spun her out away from him. He looked her over. Blue clung to every curve of her body...and he couldn't see a visible line  
anywhere. Not near her hip--and she couldn't be wearing a bra, with that asymmetrical triangle at her back. He pulled her back into him, shivering with the thought of nothing between her and that dress but her soft, tan skin. He took a deep breath, and let his hand slid a little lower that was strictly polite for it to be resting for just dancing.

"Oh man, I can't believe that!" Kreig exclaimed. He, Ford, Ortiz and Shan were all watching O'Neill and MacMurdo on the dance floor. "No, he didn't!"

"Oh, yes he did," Ford replied in awe.

Ortiz smiled. "I didn't think Tim had it in him," he said, referring to the way O'Neill' s right hand had slid down Aislinn's back, and was now resting lightly on the curve of her ass. "Way to go, buddy," he added, raising his glass of water towards the couple.

"He's making time on MY girl, and you're congratulating him?" Kreig said. "Thanks, Miguel. You're a pal."

"Hold up a minute," Ford piped in. "YOUR girl?" He looked at Tim, dipping Aislinn, then back at Ben. "Did we miss something, Krieg?"

 

Tim's heart felt like it was going to burst out of his chest. He knew that everyone in the room was watching them dance. He saw their friends staring at them. Ben Krieg looked like he was about to cry. After hearing for the first couple of weeks she was on the seaQuest about how Kreig was going to sweep Linn of her feet with his 'charm and good looks', this was beyond revenge. Geeky, shy, loser Tim was making time with the hottest girl on the boat. 

And loving every second of it. 

 

He rocked her back and forth for a moment, toying with her equilibrium. "Remember that move we did? In that club?" he asked her.

"The club in Edinburgh?" she replied.

He nodded.

She smiled, letting him support her weight in his arms. Her lower body stayed still, as he swung her upper body in a wide arc. Then he spun her around, his hand never leaving hers, as she ended up with her back to him and his arm around her waist. They rocked back and forth in time to the music, which had finally switched from Prince to Bryan Adams.

Ben was beside himself. "I though he had two left feet," he said sourly, watching Tim execute what seemed to be a move off one of those ballroom dancing holos.

"Looks like he exchanged one of them, doesn't it?" Shan joked, as Tim turned Aislinn back to face him.

"You know, Ben," Katie said, "if YOU could dance like that, I might not have left you." She was resting after having Ford take her out for a spin. She looked over at O'Neill. "If it weren't Linn, I might try and cut in.  
Tim looks like a great dancer."

"Cut--why didn't I think of that!?" Ben said, starting to stand.

"Sit down, Krieg," Ortiz said, grabbing Kreig's jacket.

"Aw c'mon guys," he whined.

"No way, Ben," Lucas said. "You have no idea how long Linnie's waited for a night like this. Don't ruin it for her."

 

"May I?" Captain Bridger asked over Tim's shoulder.

Tim looked at Bridger, then down at Aislinn. She nodded, and Tim reluctantly let her go and dance with the captain.

"Don't look so glum, O'Neill," he joked, spinning her in a wide circle. "I'll bring her back. I promise," he laughed.

 

Tim sat at the table with his friends, responding to their jibes and comments, but his eyes never leaving the floor, as he watched the captain dance with Aislinn. No matter who was dancing with whom, every eye in the room was riveted to the woman in blue swishing along the floor. 

 

All except, of course, one very green pair of eyes, that kept watching Tim O'Neill.

 

Tim had a goofy, satisfied grin on his face. 

"Oh sure, YOU can grin," Krieg said bitterly.

"Sour grapes! Sour grapes!" sang Shan and Ortiz.

Hitchcock laughed. "Come on, Ben. I'll let you step on my toes for a while." She took her ex-husband's hand. "It'll be like old times."

 

"You look very pretty tonight, Lieutenant," Captain Bridger said to his dance partner.

She smiled shyly. "Why, thank ye kindly, Captain Bridger," she said.

"Of course, every man in the room wants to be where I am right now, you know," he added. "We drew straws at the head table over there, to see who would get to dance with you. Short straw won." 

She grinned, and nodded towards her male crewmates. They hadn't left the table since she started dancing, content to watch her glide along the floor. "I suppose they'll all cry themselves to sleep for a month with frustration," she giggled.

"All but Tim," Bridged added knowingly.

"All but Tim--and Lucas."

"Lucas?"

She nodded. "How could I not dance with my 'little brother' and escort for the evening?"

Bridger escorted her back to her table. Tim followed her with his eyes as she went over to Lucas Wolenczak.

"Lucas," she said quietly. "Could I have this dance?"

 

The song was Bryan Adams' 'Everything I Do, I Do It for You.'

 

"You look great, Linn," Lucas said. He felt a little funny, dancing with Linn to this song, knowing everyone was watching them. He figured this would be a 'Tim' song. "Why're you dancing with me? Shouldn't you be dancing this song with Tim?"

She smiled. "But, why wouldn't I want to dance with my favorite guy?" she teased.

"To this song?" Lucas said.

She looked down at him. She was wearing three inch heels, so she towered over him for the first time. "But, I would do anything for you, Lucas. You know that."

"But--"

"Just listen to the words, boyo. Then you'll understand."

He listened...he practically had it memorized. 

_'There's no love like your love, and no other could give more love._  
 _There's no where unless you're there, all the time, all the way.'_

That was them, alright. Two peas in a pod, Dr. Westphalen said all the time about them. She'd become his family, the only family he could count on, in a very real way. They worked together, but this was beyond that. The work on the Vocorder and her universal translator was the catalyst between them. There was a very real bond between them. Lucas went to Aislinn with all the problems, all the fears he couldn't go to anyone else for. Even when he was afraid, she could feel her with him, beside him, bolstering him. How many times had her words, 'The admittance of fear is a strength in and of itself,' given him the courage to make it through another crisis? Through another missed brithday? Another broken promise? 

She brushed a lock of his always unruly blonde hair out of his eyes. "I can't picture me life without you in it, Lucas," she said, hugging him tightly. "You're one of the best things to ever happen to me," she said.

Lucas was astonished. "I love you, Linnie," he said in awe. "I mean--like, more than a girlfriend or something. Like--you're really my  
sister. For 'real', real, I mean." he stammered.

"I know what you mean, Luke, ye daft boy," she whispered back. "I love you, too."

_'Yeah I would fight for you, I'd lie for you, walk the wire for you_  
 _Yeah, I'd die for you--_  
 _You know it's true, everything I do, I do it for you...'_

 

He smiled, letting the words sink in. "Thanks, Sis," he said, kissing her cheek.

She kissed his cheek at the same time. "Anytime, little brother."

 

Tim watched her approach him on Lucas' arm for a second time tonight. The reaction wasn't any different. His heart was still trying to pound its way out of his chest. There was nothing else in the room, but him, her--

And that dress.

 

She held her hand out to him as the DJ announced the last song for this set, Alanis Morrisette's 'Head Over Feet'.

They were just holding each other, barely moving to the music. Tim often thought of Linn when he heard this song. The title alone was how her felt for her. The whole song was like a dialogue between them.

_"Your love is thick, and it swallows me whole_  
 _You're so much braver than I gave you credit for,_  
 _That's not lip service..."_

_"Your love is thick, and it swallows me whole_  
 _You're so much braver than I gave you credit for,_  
 _That's not lip service..."_

_"You've already won me over, in spite of me_  
 _Don't be alarmed if I fall head over heels._  
 _And don't surprised if I love you, for all that you are..._  
 _I couldn't help it_  
 _It's all your fault....."_

"I love this song," he whispered. "This song is us, y'know."

"I know," she said. "That's why I asked for it."

He smiled at her, pouring his love into the gesture.

She looked up at him, her eyes bright.

"I really want to kiss you," he said.

"Right here? In front of all the UEO brass? And half the seaQuest? And BEN?" she teased.

He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers gently."Yup," he said, caressing her smiling face.

"Tim?"

"Hmmm?"

"The music stopped, Tim."

He still was rocking her back and forth in his arms, moving to a tune only he could hear.

"I know," he said, resting his head against her soft hair.

She smiled as she let her fingers play with the baby fine hair at the nape of his neck. "Just checking," she sighed, pulling him closer.

 

Ford was patting a inconsolable Krieg on the shoulder. "I'm sure that wasn't what we all think it was, Ben," he was saying.

"Yeah," Shan said. "I'm sure Tim was just licking some punch off her top lip or something."

"Don't they know the damn song's over?" Kreig muttered.

Katie patted Ben on the shoulder, with a secret smile on her face. "Something tells me I don't think they really care, Ben," she said.

**Author's Note:**

> The seaQuest DSV, and her crew were all created by Rockne O'Bannon, and are owned by Ambiln Productions. All except Lt. Aislinn MacMurdo, who comes from my own vivid imagination.


End file.
